Process to prepare a premium formulated egg product

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to the formulation and process for preparation of a fried egg product that may be frozen for future heating in a microwave or other oven or griddle, for consumption by an individual. Various ingredients are added and mixed to each of the liquid egg white and liquid egg yolk portions. The liquid egg white portion is preheated and then deposited within a mold for slow cooking under controlled temperature and humidity conditions. The liquid egg yolk portion is preheated and then added to the mold for placement on the egg white portion. Following a short period of cooking, the mold containing the formulated fried eggs is transported to a freezer unit for freezing, then is removed from the mold for packaging and storage. At a future time, the frozen formulated fried egg product may be thawed and reheated for consumption by an individual.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a division of U.S. patent application Ser. No.13/537,172, filed Jun. 29, 2012, presently pending, which is acontinuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/762,494, filed Apr.19, 2010, and now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 8,211,488, which is acontinuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/971,011, filed Jan.8, 2008, and now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 7,709,039, which is acontinuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/150,034, filed Jun.10, 2005, and now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 7,338,681, which is acontinuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/161,046, filed May31, 2002, and now abandoned, which claims the benefit of U.S.provisional patent appl. No. 60/342,405, filed Dec. 21, 2001, the entirecontents of all identified applications being incorporated herein byreference.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

The present invention is directed to a formulation for a fried eggproduct and process to prepare a premium formulated fried egg forconsumption by an individual. It is anticipated that the formulatedfried egg product will be refrigerated and/or frozen for future heatingby microwave oven, convection oven or griddle for consumption as astand-alone food item or as a portion of a composite food article. Theformulated fried egg has a texture and other sensory perceptions similarto a naturally fried egg.

In the past, formulated fried eggs have been formed by the filling of amold with a liquid egg mixture and then cooking the liquid egg mixturewithin the mold. Many problems have arisen through the implementation ofthis processing methodology, resulting in products that have theappearance and taste of commercial processing, products that areextremely dense and have poor viscosity, and products that generallyexhibit undesirable sensory perceptions related to the appearance, tasteand texture as compared to a freshly fried egg. Therefore, a need existsto eliminate the dense, commercial-processing appearance and tasteassociated with a formulated fried egg product cooked within a mold.

In the past, procedures have generally not been implemented torigorously control the processing and cooking parameters utilized toyield a formulated fried egg. A need exists to develop a formulatedfried egg that is more appealing in appearance and taste and that issusceptible to freezing and reheating using conventional or microwaveheating prior to consumption.

In the past, the freezing and/or extended refrigeration of a formulatedfried egg has led to a loss of a cohesive texture and degradation ofother sensory attributes such as mouth feel, taste, elasticity, and/orthe food product not being tender or appealing to an individual. Anothercommon problem encountered during delayed consumption, extendedrefrigeration and/or freezing of a formulated fried egg is that the foodproduct exhibits syneresis, or the loss of water, either when frozen andreheated, or when stored for an extended period of time.

In the past, temperature variations during the cooking procedure forformulated fried eggs have caused a degradation of viscosity, loss ofelasticity, and have resulted in a non-smooth, non-cohesive texture. Inaddition, temperature variations have caused the formulated fried egg tolack the tenderness of a naturally fried egg, and to fail to easilyfracture and break during attempts to rupture the egg yolk portion. Thecooking of the formulated fried egg at an elevated temperature, tominimize the duration of the cooking time, frequently results in burningand degradation of the texture of the formulated fried egg. Also, duringrapid cooking a formulated fried egg easily dehydrates and forms a crustthat is unappealing to an individual.

The rate of cooking of the formulated fried egg and the temperature ofthe oven or other cooking device, also frequently cause the formation ofan excessive volume of air bubbles, which, in turn, interrupt thestructure and texture of the formulated fried egg. The absence of asmooth cohesive texture causes an undesirable mouth feel when consumedby an individual. The existence of undesirable and/or excessive airbubbles may also occur when the pH of the formulated fried egg is at animproper level, preventing the egg white from retaining carbon dioxideas carbonic acid. The reduction in the amount of carbon dioxide and/orcarbonic acid causes the mixing and/or shearing of the egg white duringprocessing due to undesirable gas entrapment.

In the past, the cooking of formulated fried eggs has frequently causedan iron-sulfide greening reaction resulting in undesirable colorationand degradation in the taste of the egg product.

It is also desirable to provide a formulated fried egg that is naturalin appearance. In the past, formulated fried eggs have been symmetrical,with the egg yolk portion centrally positioned within a substantiallyround egg white portion. These types of formulated fried eggs do notappear to be natural. Natural fried eggs have random yolk positioningand non-symmetrical egg white portions.

The known formulated fried egg processing techniques frequently causefreezing and/or thawing damage to the product and fail to retain the eggyolk portions in a semi-liquid state after freezing and subsequentthawing and heating. As a result, the egg yolk portions of the knownformulated fried eggs do not readily fracture, do not feature asemi-liquid state, and do not have the desired elastic texture.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the formulation and process forpreparation of a fried egg product that may be refrigerated and/orfrozen for future heating by microwave or other oven or griddle forconsumption by an individual. The process involves the initial step ofacquisition of liquid eggs which may be separated into liquid egg whiteand liquid egg yolk portions. Various ingredients are added and mixedinto each of the liquid egg white and liquid yolk portions. The liquidegg white portion is preheated and then deposited within a mold for slowcooking under controlled temperature and humidity conditions. The liquidyolk portion is preheated and then is added to the mold for placement onthe egg white portion. Following a short period of cooking, the moldcontaining the cooked egg white and egg yolk is cooled and thentransported to a freezer unit for freezing. The frozen formulated friedegg is then separated from the mold for packaging and storage. At afuture time, the frozen formulated fried egg product may be retrievedfor thawing and cooking for consumption by an individual. The formulatedfried egg product made according to the parameters described hereinyields an enhanced fried egg product having the sensory attributes andappearance of a naturally fried egg.

The liquid egg white portions, the liquid yolk portions and theadditional ingredients are individually mixed under controlledconditions to avoid over-mixing and/or over-gassing of the liquid eggportions, which would adversely affect the quality of the end product.Following cooling and freezing, the formulated fried egg may beseparated from the mold for storage within a freezer, or it can berefrigerated for future reheating and consumption by an individual.

Principle advantages of the present invention are: improved texture; anatural, homemade look for the reheated fried eggs; preparation throughthe use of commercially available equipment; a light and airy textureresembling naturally fried eggs; a more appetizing appearance; use ofrelatively simple and inexpensive ingredients and processing equipmentthat fulfill the intended purpose of enhancing the formulated fried eggproduct without damage to the food article and/or damage to foodprocessing equipment and/or illness to individuals; the addition ofmodified food starch to enhance the quality of the food article; theaddition of gums to improve the appeal of the food article; the use ofFDA-approved ingredients; efficient control of the mixing and cookingparameters to formulate a desired quantity of formulated fried eggproduct; a product that may be held as frozen, refrigerated, and/or hotfor extended periods of time without loss of product integrity, therebyminimizing waste; a superior formulated fried egg product that includesintegrity characteristics not found in other food articles within thesame product classification; enhanced product consistency that is notfound in other food articles within the same product classification; aformulated fried egg product that remains intact following refrigerationand/or freezing and subsequent reheating for consumption by anindividual; improved texture and flavor as compared to other foodarticles within the same product classification; and minimized sogginessof the egg product from refrigeration and/or freezing and subsequentreheating prior to consumption by an individual.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a mold utilized to cook the formulated fried egg.

FIG. 2 shows is a block diagram showing the processing steps during theformation of the fried egg product.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In general, the disclosed invention relates to a formulated fried eggproduct, and a process to prepare the formulated fried egg product. Theformulated fried egg product is generally formed of an egg white portionand an egg yolk portion.

After being cooked, it is preferable that the formulated fried eggproduct is frozen, thawed, and heated prior to consumption by anindividual and/or prior to incorporation into a composite food product.

The disclosed formulation for the fried egg product, and process toprepare the formulated fried egg product, originate with liquid eggwhites and liquid egg yolks which, when cooked and combined with otheringredients, may be frozen and/or refrigerated for reheating bymicrowave ovens, convection ovens, griddles or any other type of heatingdevice without limitation, for consumption as a fried egg or as acomponent of a consumable food product. The formulated fried egg mayinclude a wide range of egg product and ingredient formulations, whichwhen mixed, frozen and/or refrigerated, followed by reheating, result ina visually and sensorially appealing formulated fried egg.

The process for forming the fried egg product for future reheating by amicrowave oven or other heating oven or griddle is distinctly differentin certain physical characteristics from standard processing techniques.

Ordinarily one would not expect the control of ingredients, theregulation of temperature, the control of cooking conditions, and themanagement of mixing parameters during food processing to yield anenhanced formulated fried egg product. However, the failure to controlingredient proportions, regulate the temperature of the ingredients,control the conditions of cooking, and/or follow mixing parameterssignificantly degrades the integrity of sensory and taste perceptionsfor the fried egg product. Control of ingredient proportions, regulationof the temperature of the ingredients, control of cooking conditions,and management of mixing parameters provide enhanced consistency andintegrity for the formulated fried egg product and reduce sogginess,enhancing the likelihood that the formulated fried egg will remainintact through processing, freezing or refrigeration, and subsequentreheating prior to consumption by an individual. The control ofingredient proportions, regulation of ingredient temperature, limitationof cooking conditions, and management of mixing parameters also maximizethe retention of a cohesive texture and sensory perceptions associatedwith a composite formulated fried egg product.

The formulations and food processing techniques described hereinminimize undesirable effects of the fried egg being rubbery, orexhibiting syneresis (loss of water) either when frozen and reheated, orwhen stored for an extended period of time.

The formulations and food process techniques described herein furtherminimize waste of the consumable formulated fried egg.

The present methodology for formulation of the fried egg product occursthrough the acquisition of farm packaged, ungraded, washed, fresh eggs,where the egg whites have been separated from the egg yolks by hand ormechanical egg-shelling techniques. Care should be utilized to avoidovergassing of the egg white component of the formulated fried eggduring mechanical egg-shelling and separation techniques. The liquid eggwhite and/or liquid egg yolk portions of the formulated fried egg may beobtained from shell eggs and/or pasteurized shell eggs. It is desirablefor the liquid egg yolk portion of the formulated fried egg to besemi-solid following cooking and reheating after being frozen. Dried eggwhite powder and/or egg yolk powder may be added to the liquid egg yolkportion to improve the density, texture, and mouth feel for the egg yolkportion of the formulated fried egg.

The liquid egg whites, separated from the liquid egg yolks, form thestarting materials for the formulated fried egg product. In general, theliquid egg whites may be unpasteurized or pasteurized for use as thestarting material.

First, the starting liquid egg whites are maintained in a suitablecontainer and may be refrigerated for later mixing with supplements toprovide a superior taste, appearance and texture for the formulatedfried egg. Preferably, the liquid egg whites are not stored asrefrigerated but are immediately used for processing into the formulatedfried egg.

The formulated fried egg product preferably has the physical andchemical characteristics of a natural fried egg and is sensoriallyacceptable as a formulated fried egg product in substitution for astandard natural fried egg.

In general, the process for formulation of the fried egg includes:obtaining a desired amount or volume of liquid egg whites and liquid eggyolks and placing them into separate mixing tanks or vessels. In a thirdseparate tank, “dry ingredients” including, but not necessarily limitedto, oils; gums and modified food starches; non-fat dry milk; salt; waterand citric acid may be placed. The “dry ingredients” are then mixed,preferably separately from the egg ingredients. The mixed “dryingredients” may then be introduced into the respective vesselscontaining liquid egg whites and/or liquid egg yolks whereupon furthermixing should occur. Alternatively, the applicable “dry ingredients” maybe directly mixed in the individual vessels containing the liquid eggwhites and/or the liquid egg yolks.

Mixing may occur through the use of an Admix High Shear Mixer for adesired period of time, which may be five minutes at a speed of 3450rotations per minute, resulting in a homogeneous liquid egg white and/oregg yolk product. Mixing may result in the formation of a foam that ispreferably removed from the liquid egg white and/or liquid egg yolkmixture. Alternatively, the ingredients for the liquid egg whites andliquid egg yolks may be mixed for approximately 5 to 10 minutes and thenthe mixed liquid egg whites and liquid egg yolks may be pumped throughcommercial processing equipment for deposit into a mold for cooking in acommercial convection oven. Alternatively, the liquid egg whites and/orliquid egg yolks may be mixed through constant stirring for a desiredperiod of time whereupon the mixed liquid egg whites and liquid eggyolks may be pumped into the depositor for further processing.Alternatively, the mixed liquid egg whites and/or liquid egg yolks maybe homogenized through commercially available homogenizing equipment. Itis also generally desirable to avoid excessive mixing or agitation ofthe liquid egg whites and/or liquid egg yolks that may result from theuse of powerful mixing equipment. Excessive mixing causes aerationwithin the liquid egg product, resulting in the formation of air bubblesduring cooking of the formulated fried egg. Excessive agitation mayfurther cause the degradation of the egg whites and/or egg yolks,adversely affecting the quality of the formulated fried egg product.

The ingredients of the liquid egg white and/or liquid egg yolk may bemixed within a Kramer & Grebe multi-mix mixer. Alternatively, the liquidegg whites and/or liquid egg yolks may be mixed within a Hobart blender.The mixed liquid egg whites may then be placed within individual moldsby a Koppens dispensing machine, which may regulate the desired volumeof the mixed liquid egg whites within each individual mold.

The mixed liquid egg whites may then be pumped for preheating within aheat exchanger. The mixed liquid egg yolks may also be pumped forpreheating within a second heat exchanger. The preheated liquid eggwhite product may then be pumped into a depositor. The preheated liquidegg yolk product may then be pumped into a second depositor. Finally,the preheated liquid egg whites are deposited in a mold for cooking.Following an initial period of cooking, the egg yolk portion isdeposited upon the partially cooked egg white portion within the mold.Further cooking of the egg white and egg yolk portions normally followsby passing the molds through a convection oven. The cooked fried eggsare then cooled, frozen, and removed from the molds for appropriatestorage and/or for reheating and inclusion within a food product such asbreakfast sandwich.

Alternatively, the process for formulation of a fried egg product mayinclude obtaining a desired amount or volume of unshelled liquid eggwhites, and egg yolks. The liquid egg whites and yolks are placed intoseparate mixing tanks for mixing with initial ingredients such as oils,gums, modified food starches, salt, and water. Next, the liquid eggwhites and liquid yolks may be pumped to a heat exchanger forpreheating. Next, the mixed liquid egg whites and liquid egg yolks maybe pumped to respective depositors, whereupon a desired amount ofpreheated liquid egg whites are deposited within molds. The mold thenpasses a second depositor containing the liquid egg yolks for depositingof the liquid egg yolk portion into the mold on top of the uncookedliquid egg white portion. The molds containing the liquid egg whites andliquid egg yolks then pass into an oven for cooking The cookedformulated fried eggs are then cooled, frozen, and removed from themolds for appropriate storage and eventual use as a food product.

Initial homogenizing of the liquid egg whites and/or liquid egg yolksmay occur provided that the homogenizing methods do not significantlydelay the continued cooking of the mixed liquid egg whites and/or liquidegg yolks. Preferably, the mixed liquid egg whites and liquid egg yolksare cooked within a few hours of mixing. It is more preferable thatcooking occurs immediately following the mixing of the liquid egg whitesand liquid egg yolks.

Citric acid and/or citric acid in combination with xanthan gum may beadded to the liquid egg yolk. The citric acid slows the ironsulfide-generating reaction during cooking and improves the appearanceof the egg yolk while simultaneously increasing the viscosity of the eggyolk at lower cooking temperatures.

It is desirable for the egg white portion following cooking to beelastic, smooth, cohesive in texture, tender and to fracture so as togive the appearance of the egg white portion of a naturally fried egg.To achieve egg white consistency, minimization of air bubbles isrequired to reduce cupping, graininess, and freezer/thaw degradation. Inorder to assist in the improvement of the consistency and texture of theegg white portion, POLAR GEL modified food starch and/or PURITY modifiedfood starch may be added. POLAR GEL starch in most applications providesslightly better texture and consistency for the cooked egg white portionof the formulated fried egg. The use of POLAR GEL starch at a level ofapproximately 1.5% also provides adequate freezer/thaw protection forthe formulated fried egg. In addition, the texture and/or appearance ofthe egg white portion or yolk portion may be influenced by the type ofgum that is added to the formulated fried egg. To improve texture and/orappearance, guar and/or xanthan gum provide acceptable results uponcooking of the formulated fried egg. The texture and/or appearance ofthe formulated fried egg following cooking is improved through theaddition of a combination of modified food starch and gum. The use ofexcessive modified food starch should be avoided to minimize perceivedrubberiness and undesirable mouth feel for the formulated fried egg. Theuse of xanthan gum also improves the mouth feel characteristics for theformulated fried egg following cooking.

In order to minimize undesirable bubbling, particularly within the eggwhite portion, a procedure may be implemented to de-gas and to removeair bubbles from the liquid egg whites. A vacuum treatment may beintroduced for a period of approximately two hours in order to attemptto draw air bubbles to the surface of the liquid egg whites. Air bubblesmay float to the surface of the liquid egg whites followingdepressurizing of the container holding the liquid egg whites.Initially, machine-broken egg whites are more susceptible to bubbleformation than hand-broken eggs. Separation of the egg whites from thehand-broken eggs generally yields intact egg magma, minimizingundesirable air bubble formation.

The pH of the liquid egg white portion is normally between 8.2 to 8.5.An increase in the pH of the liquid egg white portion to a level between8.8 and 9.1 decreases the volume of air bubbles and reduces the cuppingof the egg white portion during cooking. Further, an increase of the pHto approximately 9 for the liquid egg white portion results in greaterfreezer/thaw protection, reducing damage to the formulated fried eggfollowing cooking and subsequent freezing.

The use of 1.0 mL of 1.0 N NaOH (40 g/960 mL water) at approximately 1.0mL NaOH solution to 100 mL of liquid egg whites increases the pH fromapproximately 8.4 to 8.8. The greatest effect of bubble and cuppingreduction for the liquid egg whites occurs when the pH is approximately9.0 accompanied by a low percentage of modified food starch and xanthangum.

In general, the ingredients for the egg white portion and the egg yolkportion are not required to be combined in any preferred order formixing. The ingredients of the egg white portion and the egg yolkportion are preferably mixed cold at a temperature between 32° F. and40° F. (0° C. and 4.44° C.) and more preferably less than 40° F. (4.44°C.). Water may be added to the “dry ingredients” to facilitate mixing.The “dry ingredients” and water may then be mixed into the respectiveliquid egg whites and/or liquid egg yolks to formulate the individualcore components for the formulated fried egg product. The mixing timefor the respective egg whites and/or egg yolk portions is reduced to aminimum and generally is no longer than necessary to insure adequatemixing. The mixing may occur through the use of a high shear mixer as iscommercially available.

After mixing of the liquid egg whites and/or liquid egg yolks, apreheating step may occur prior to the cooking of the fried egg product.In operation, the preheating phase is generally continuous for theenhanced mixed liquid egg whites and liquid egg yolks. Preheating occursas the liquid egg white mixture and liquid egg yolk mixture are pumpedthrough respective sets of equipment for introduction to a tube-to-tubeheat exchanger for each mixture. The temperature of the enhanced liquidegg white mixture and liquid egg yolk mixture prior to the respectivetube-to-tube heat exchangers is approximately 40° F. (4.44° C.).

The temperature of the enhanced mixture of liquid egg whites and liquidegg yolks exiting the respective tube-to-tube heat exchangers and/orrespective scraped-surface heat exchangers following completion ofpreheating is approximately 135° F. (57.22° C.). The preheating phaseelevates the temperature of the enhanced liquid egg white mixture andliquid egg yolk mixture prior to the introduction of the liquid eggwhite mixture and/or liquid egg yolk mixture into respective depositors.The preheating of the mixed liquid egg whites and mixed liquid egg yolksmay occur within individual tube-to-tube heat exchangers identified as aFeldmeier systems.

In addition, the preheating procedure may continue through the use ofscraped-surface heat exchangers, which may be identified as ConthermSwept Surface Heat Exchangers. It should also be noted that thepreheating may be eliminated and/or significantly reduced so long ascooking times and temperatures are correspondingly adjusted for cookingof the enhanced formulated fried egg at a sufficiently low temperatureand for a sufficiently short duration of time to avoid burning,sticking, and/or other undesirable complications associated with thecooking process. Undesirable complications include, but are notnecessarily limited to, excessive bubbling where the liquid egg whitesand/or liquid egg yolks have not been previously preheated, formation ofan undesirable skin for the fried egg, and the undesirable hardening ofthe egg yolk portion; undesirable skin formation usually occurs when theformulated fried egg is exposed to excessive temperature and/or cookingtime.

During and/or immediately following preheating, the mixed liquid eggwhites are preferably pumped and/or passed through the depositor for thedelivery of a specific weight or volume of mixed liquid egg whites intoa mold at a set rate. The speed or rate of the depositor may be adjusteddependent upon the temperature of the oven and cooking time. The speedof the depositor is the rate at which a mold is filled with mixed liquidegg white for movement through an oven. The molds filled with the liquidegg whites may then be passed through a second depositor which containsthe preheated liquid egg yolks. The second depositor then deposits adesired volume of preheated liquid egg yolk material upon the previouslydispensed egg whites. The placement of the egg yolk material onto theegg whites is not standardized or uniform, thereby enhancing the naturalappearance for the formulated fried egg product. Following the depositof the preheated liquid egg yolk material into the partially filled moldcontaining the egg whites, the mold may be transported to an oven forcooking.

During formation of the formulated fried egg following preheating of theegg white portion, deposit of the egg white portion within the mold,and/or the initiation of the cooking of the egg white portion, theliquid egg yolk portion is heated to a temperature just below thecoagulation point for the liquid egg yolk. The heated egg yolk is thendeposited into the mold upon the preheated egg white portion. Theposition of the egg yolk portion upon the egg white portion is generallynot symmetrical and/or uniform between individual portions of theformulated fried egg. The mold containing the egg yolk and egg whiteportions is then cooked increasing the viscosity of the egg white andegg yolk portions.

A conveyor and/or an extractor device preferably places an empty moldand retrieves a filled mold from the Koppens dispenser. The conveyorpreferably transports molds filled with liquid egg white material to asecond depositor or dispensing machine for receipt of a portion ofliquid egg yolk material. The conveyor continues to transport the moldscontaining the liquid egg white and liquid yolk material into aconvection oven for heating.

The conveyor also preferably transports individual cooked formulatedfried eggs to a freezing and package stage where one or more of theindividual formulated fried eggs may be packaged together.

The humidity of the oven is an important factor during cooking of theformulated fried egg. Increased humidity within the oven enhances thesensory perceptions such as appearance, taste, and mouth feel for thecooked formulated fried egg. Cooking of the formulated fried egg producttherefore occurs at a high moisture atmosphere at an approximatetemperature of 350° F. or 176.67° C. A gas fired steam injection cookeras available from Hobart is adequate for the cooking purposes. Inaddition, in order to obtain a desired high moisture atmosphere, theexhaust dampers for the oven may be required to be closed. Closing ofthe oven dampers may necessarily increase the temperature within theovens by approximately 25° F. or 13.89° C. or more. It is anticipatedthat the minimum temperature of the oven is required to exceed 165° F.or 73.89° C. The oven is preferably completely preheated in order toattempt to obtain an equilibration of the cooking components.

The condition of the oven during the initial cooking of the formulatedfried egg, and the condition of the oven during reheating of theformulated fried egg following freezing, have a large impact upon skinformation and egg texture. To minimize undesirable skin formation and tomaximize the texture, taste, mouth feel, and other sensory perceptions,the formulated fried egg should be cooked slowly at relatively lowtemperatures. In addition, humidity within the oven should be maximized.The speed of cooking the formulated fried egg significantly impacts thefinal textural properties as perceived by consumers. Cooking theformulated fried egg too rapidly and at an increased temperature causesair bubbles to form and interrupt the egg structure, particularly theegg white structure, destroying the smooth cohesive texture of theformulated fried egg.

The oven conditions during cooking may vary. Generally, cooking of theformulated fried egg may occur at a temperature of 325° F. (162.78° C.)at a full-steam setting where the cooking time is 7.75 minutes. Thesecooking conditions provide an acceptable cooked formulated fried egg.

Alternatively, cooking of the formulated fried egg may occur at atemperature of 375° F. (190.56° C.) at full steam for 6.5 minutes toyield an acceptable cooked formulated fried egg.

In another embodiment, cooking of the formulated fried egg may occur ata temperature of approximately 375° F. (190.56° C.) for 6.5 minuteswhere full steam is provided for the final one-third of the cooking timeto yield an acceptable cooked formulated fried egg.

In yet another embodiment, cooking of the formulated fried egg may occurat a temperature of approximately 425° F. (218.33° C.) for 5.5 minuteswhere full steam is provided during the entire cooking duration to yieldan acceptable cooked formulated fried egg.

A PROCTOR oven may be utilized to cook for the formulated fried egg.Alternatively, a batch oven may be utilized to cook the formulated friedegg. The cooking times for the formulated fried egg are normally between6.5 and 8 minutes. In addition, it is preferable to lower the cookingtemperature and to increase the pH within the formulated fried egg tomaximize quality. A cooking time of 6.5 to 8 minutes has been found tobe adequate for coagulation of the egg proteins for the formulated friedegg.

In order to minimize skin formation during cooking, molds containingindividual egg receiving areas are used. The molds containing theformulated egg prior to and during cooking are not required to betreated with oil and/or water. When no treatment is applied to the moldsduring cooking at relatively high temperatures, the firmness of the toplayer of the egg is reduced. In addition, the cooking of the formulatedfried egg without the use of oil, water, and/or other treatment mayresult in the undesirable dehydration and crusting of the egg surfaceand particularly the egg white surface.

During cooking of the formulated fried egg within the molds, edible oilmay be sprayed upon the top surface of the egg to deter dehydration andcrusting of the egg surface. The effectiveness of the sprayed oil uponthe surface of the egg is improved when the formulated fried egg iscooked at lower temperatures of approximately 325° F. (162.78° C.).

Alternatively, water may be sprayed upon the top surface of theformulated fried egg within the molds during cooking to deterdehydration and crusting of the egg surface. The use of water sprayedupon the surface of the formulated fried egg yields the shiniest andmost natural appearing fried egg.

In general, a continuous forced-draft convection heating oven isutilized for cooking of the formulated fried egg. A suitableforced-draft convection heating oven is identified as a WolverineProctor Convection Oven. The operational oven temperature parameters areusually identified as 325° F. to 475° F. (162.78° C. to 246.11° C.)where the dampers and relative humidity within the convection oven maybe adjusted dependent upon the local environmental conditions asidentified within the examples indicated herein.

During cooking, each mold may be covered with foil to minimizedehydration and crusting of the fried egg surface. Cooking of theformulated fried eggs within the molds covered by aluminum foil usuallyoccurs at lower cooking temperatures of approximately 325° F. (162.78°C.). Prior to cooking in molds covered with aluminum foil, water may beadded to each egg receiving area to minimize dehydration and/or crustingof the surface of the formulated fried egg during cooking The inclusionof water within the egg receiving area of the molds prior to coveringwith foil improves the humidity of the formulated fried egg duringcooking, thereby reducing undesirable skin formation, dehydration,and/or crusting of the surface of the formulated fried egg.

The molds utilized to cook the formulated fried egg may identified asPROCTOR oven molds where each egg receiving area has a diameter ofbetween 3 in. to 3.5 in., or 7.62 cm to 8.89 cm. Each mold may includeone row of three egg receiving areas. Alternatively, a mold may includeany desired number of rows of egg-receiving areas. In addition, theinterior of the egg receiving areas of each mold may be treated withsilicon and/or Teflon® to reduce sticking of the cooked formulated friedegg within the mold. Each egg receiving area of each mold is preferablyconstructed and arranged to hold between 8-14 grams of egg yolk materialas deposited on 18-24 grams of egg white material.

A mold 10 having individual food receiving openings 12 may be insertedproximate to a dispensing device where each individual food opening 12receives approximately 3 ounces or 85.05 grams of consumable foodproduct.

The mold as utilized herein is preferably substantially circular inshape and has a sufficient depth to hold for cooking the mixed liquidegg whites and subsequent deposited mixed liquid egg yolk material.

Referring to FIG. 1, the mold may be formed of metal, Teflon®, and/orany other desired material for use in the processing, cooling, and/orfreezing, of the formulated fried egg. The material selected for themold 10 is required to be amenable to repeated cleansing to minimizefood-related health issues and/or contamination. Each individual mold isgenerally adapted to receive 3 ounces or 85.05 grams of mixed liquid eggwhite material and 3 ounces or 85.05 grams of mixed liquid egg yolkmaterial for cooking into the formulated fried egg product.

Following cooking, the molds containing the cooked formulated fried eggsmay be removed from the oven and permitted to cool at room temperaturefor approximately 30 minutes. A cross-cup conveyor may then be used totransfer the molds to a freezing unit to implement freezing of the moldscontaining the formulated fried eggs.

The molds containing the cooked formulated fried eggs may be frozen inany manner desired including, but not necessarily limited to, freezingupon exposure to carbon dioxide snow; cryogenic freezing through the useof liquid nitrogen within a Spyro freezer; and/or freezing throughconvention freezing techniques. If a cryogenic freezing technique isutilized, then the Spyro freezer and associated conveyor may be set tofreeze approximately 3800 units of formulated fried egg per hour.Freezing of the cooked molds holding the cooked formulated fried eggsmay also occur through the use of a carbon dioxide freezing tunnelhaving a centrally disposed conveyor for transportation of the molds ofcooked formulated fried eggs. Alternatively, liquid nitrogen may be usedas the freezing medium, which may be either sprayed upon or exposed tothe molds through conventional processing techniques. The use of liquidnitrogen is anticipated to be sufficient to freeze 3000 lbs. of cookedformulated fried eggs per hour.

Following cooking, the formulated fried eggs may be individually quickfrozen. Individual quick freezing of the eggs should occur in a shortduration of time.

Generally, as the time required for freezing ingredients decreases, thequality of the frozen article after thawing increases. A Spyro freezermay be utilized to individually quick freeze the formulated fried eggproduct. The through-put for the freezer may establish a freezing timeof approximately 30 minutes. The formulated fried egg product may beexposed to a temperature below −10° F. (−23.33° C.), not to exceed 20°F. (−6.67° C.). Individual quick freezing of the cooked formulated friedegg product provides safety advantages that minimize food-related healthand/or contamination issues. Following the individual quick freezing ofthe cooked formulated fried egg product, the fried eggs may endure beingfrozen, refrigerated, and/or kept hot following reheating for extendeddurations of time without the sacrifice of product quality.

The frozen formulated fried eggs may then be separated from the molds byconventional separation techniques, which may include the use ofvacuum-assisted separation devices. Following separation from the molds,the frozen formulated fried eggs may be individually packaged and/orpackaged in bulk for storage. The frozen formulated fried eggs mayadditionally be vacuum packaged and/or gaseous nitrogen may be utilizedto flush air from the packages to minimize risk of contamination and/orfreezer or thaw damage to the formulated fried eggs during storage.

Alternatively, the food separation device may include grasping armsand/or positioners to facilitate the separation of the cooked and frozenformulated fried egg from the interior of the respective mold. The foodseparation device may also include pneumatic and/or hydraulic pumpshaving hose conduits, which, in turn, may be in communication with oneor more individual suction extractors. One or more valves may beutilized to regulate the pneumatic and/or hydraulic pressure on theindividual suction devices for use in separation of the frozenformulated fried egg from an individual mold. The pumps and valves mayregulate the pressure to be exposed to the individual extraction devicesto downwardly force the individual extraction devices into therespective mold for separation of the frozen formulated fried eggproduct from the mold.

A conveyor may be placed below the food separation device. The conveyoris preferably adapted to receive, carry, and/or transport frozenformulated fried eggs to a packaging area following separation from themolds.

Prior to reheating of the frozen formulated fried eggs, thawing isgenerally required. Following the thawing of the previously frozenformulated fried eggs, the eggs may be reheated in a conventional ovenor microwave oven prior to consumption. During reheating, the thawedformulated fried eggs are generally required to be covered or enclosedwithin a medium such as plastic to minimize dehydration, the formationof undesirable skin, and/or crusting of the surface of the fried egg. Inaddition, the power setting for a microwave oven should be reduced tominimize undesirable skin formation. Reheating through the use of aconventional oven generally also requires that the formulated fried eggsbe covered to minimize undesirable skin formation, dehydration, and/orcrusting of the surface of the eggs. Alternatively, humidity may beincreased in the oven as earlier described to maximize the quality ofthe reheated formulated fried eggs. Alternatively, steam injectioncooking may be utilized to reheat a thawed formulated fried egg, whichmay eliminate the necessity of covering the eggs or cooking wellscontaining the thawed formulated fried eggs during reheating.

Various ingredients are utilized to provide a desired quality for acomposite formulated fried egg. Generally, the ingredients to beincorporated into the formulated fried egg include: egg yolk; xanthangum; salt; corn syrup solids; citric acid; carrageenan; annatto; wholeegg; hard cooked yolk; water; propylene glycol; egg whites; soy beanoil; modified food starch; ProMix (non-fat dry milk and whey solids);POLAR GEL modified food starch; SLS; DELIGHT oil; guar gum; whitepepper; and natural egg flavor. Further, the formulated fried eggproduct may include water, soy bean oil, corn oil, citric acid, and/orbutter flavor. The ingredients described herein have been provided forillustrative purposes only; the product may include additional itemsfound in this description or not previously identified.

Egg whites generally comprise between 50% and 99.5% of the total percentweight of the entire egg white portion of the formulated fried eggproduct. Water is generally provided in an amount between 0% and 10% ofthe total weight of the egg white portion. Soy bean oil and/or corn oilis usually provided in an amount between 0% and 10% as based upon thepercentage of total weight for the egg white portion. Modified foodstarch generally makes up between 0% to 3% of the total weight of theegg white portion. ProMix or non-fat dried milk and whey solidsgenerally make up between 0% to 3% of the total weight of the egg whiteportion. Salt generally makes up between 0% to 1% of the total weight ofthe egg white portion. Xanthan gum generally makes up between 0% to 0.4%of the total weight of the egg white portion. POLAR GEL modified foodstarch generally makes up between 0% to 3% of the total weight of theegg white portion. Citric acid generally makes up between 0% to 0.2% ofthe total weight of the egg white portion. SLS generally makes upbetween 0% to 0.4% of the total weight of the egg white portion. DELIGHToil generally makes up between 0% to 2.5% of the total weight of the eggwhite portion. Guar gum generally makes up between 0% to 0.3% of thetotal weight of the egg white portion. Propylene glycol generally makesup between 0% and 0.3% of the total weight of the egg white portion.White pepper generally makes up between 0% to 0.05% of the total weightof the egg white portion. Natural egg flavor generally makes up between0% and 0.1% of the total weight of the egg white portion.

Egg yolks generally comprise between 50% to 99.9% of the total weight ofthe egg yolk portion of the formulated fried egg product. Xanthan gumgenerally makes up between 0% to 0.5% of the total weight of the eggyolk portion. Salt generally makes up between 0% to 0.4% of the totalweight of the egg yolk portion. Citric acid generally makes up between0% to 0.15% of the total weight of the egg yolk portion. Carrageenangenerally makes up between 0% to 0.3% of the total weight of the eggyolk portion. Whole egg generally makes up between 0% to 0.50% of thetotal weight of the egg yolk portion. Hard-cooked egg yolk generallymakes up between 0% to 0.45% of the total weight of the egg yolkportion. Water generally makes up between 0% to 15% of the total weightof the egg yolk portion. Propylene glycol generally makes up between 0%to 0.1% of the total weight of the egg yolk portion, and egg whitesgenerally make up between 0% to 20% of the total weight of the egg yolkportion.

A typical formula for the egg white portion utilized within theformulated fried egg product would involve the use of egg whitesconstituting 81% of the total weight of the egg white portion of thefried egg product; water comprising 10% of the total weight of the eggwhite portion of the fried egg product; soy bean oil/corn oilconstituting 4% of the total weight of the egg white portion of thefried egg product; modified food starch being 2.5% of the total weightof the egg white portion of the fried egg product; ProMix 632 (non-fatdry milk and whey solids) constituting 2% of the total weight of the eggwhite portion of the fried egg product; salt in the amount 0.35% of thetotal weight of the egg white portion of the fried egg product; andxanthan gum in the amount of 0.15% of the total weight of egg whiteportion of the fried egg product.

An alternative formula for the egg white portion would include eggwhites being 85.9% of the total weight of the egg white portion of thefried egg product; water being 7.15% of the total weight of the eggwhite portion of the fried egg product; soy bean oil being 4% of thetotal weight of the egg white portion of the fried egg product; modifiedfood starch being 2.5% of the total weight of the egg white portion ofthe fried egg product; salt being 0.35% of the total weight of the eggwhite portion of the fried egg product; and citric acid being 0.1% ofthe total weight of the egg white portion of the fried egg product.

Another alternative formula for the egg white portion would include eggwhites in the amount of 93.15% of the total weight of the egg whiteportion of the fried egg product; soy bean oil in the amount of 4% ofthe total weight of the egg white portion of the fried egg product;modified food starch in the amount of 2.5% of the total weight of theegg white portion of the fried egg product; and salt in the amount of0.35% of the total weight of the egg white portion of the fried eggproduct.

In still another formula, the egg white portion would include the use ofegg whites in the amount of 97.15% of the total weight of the egg whiteportion of the fried egg product; modified food starch in the amount of2.5% of the total weight of the egg white portion of the fried eggproduct; and salt in the amount of 0.35% of the total weight of the eggwhite portion of the formulated fried egg product.

In an alternative formula, egg whites would form 91.65% of the totalweight of the egg white portion of the formulated fried egg product; soybean oil would constitute 6% of the total weight of the egg whiteportion of the formulated fried egg product; POLAR GEL modified foodstarch would constitute 2% of the total weight of the egg white portionof the formulated fried egg product; salt would constitute 0.35% of thetotal weight of the egg white portion of the formulated fried eggproduct; and xanthan gum would constitute 0.3% of the total weight ofthe egg white portion of the formulated fried egg product.

In another alternative formula, egg whites would form 83% of the totalweight of the egg white portion of the formulated fried egg product;water would constitute 10% of the total weight of the egg white portionof the fried egg product; soy bean oil would constitute 4% of the totalweight of the egg white portion of the formulated fried egg product;modified food starch would constitute 2.5% of the total weight of theegg white portion of the formulated fried egg product; xanthan gum wouldconstitute 0.15% of the total weight of the egg white portion of theformulated fried egg product; and salt would constitute 0.35% of thetotal weight of the egg white portion for the formulated fried eggproduct.

In another alternative formula, egg whites would form 85.65% of thetotal weight of the egg white portion of the formulated fried eggproduct; soy bean oil would constitute 5% of the total weight of the eggwhite portion of the formulated fried egg product; water wouldconstitute 7% of the total weight of the egg white portion of theformulated fried egg product; modified food starch would constitute 2%of the total weight of the egg white portion of the formulated fried eggproduct; and salt would constitute 0.35% of the total weight of the eggwhite portion of the formulated fried egg product.

In yet another formula, egg whites would form 86% of the total weight ofthe egg white portion of the formulated fried egg product; water wouldconstitute 7.15% of the total weight of the egg white portion of theformulated fried egg product; soy bean oil would constitute 4% of thetotal weight of the egg white portion of the formulated fried eggproduct; modified food starch would constitute 2.5% of the egg whiteportion of the formulated fried egg product; and salt would constitute0.35% of the egg white portion of the formulated fried egg product.

In yet another alternative formula, egg whites would form 89.1% of thetotal weight of the egg white portion of the formulated fried eggproduct; soy bean oil would constitute 8% of the total weight of the eggwhite portion of the formulated fried egg product; POLAR GEL modifiedfood starch would constitute 2.5% of the total weight of the egg whiteportion of the formulated fried egg product; and salt would constitute0.4% of the total weight of the egg white portion of the formulatedfried egg product.

In yet another alternative formula, egg whites would form 91.1% of thetotal weight of the egg white portion of the formulated fried eggproduct; soy bean oil would constitute 6% of the total weight of the eggwhite portion of the formulated fried egg product; POLAR GEL modifiedfood starch would constitute 2.5% of the total weight of the egg whiteportion of the formulated fried egg product; and salt would constitute0.4% of the total weight of the egg white portion of the formulatedfried egg product.

In yet another alternative formula, egg whites would form 92.45% of thetotal weight of the egg white portion of the formulated fried eggproduct; soy bean oil would constitute 6% of the total weight of the eggwhite portion of the formulated fried egg product; polar gel wouldconstitute 1% of the total weight of the egg white portion of theformulated fried egg product; salt would constitute 0.4% of the totalweight of the egg white portion of the formulated fried egg product; andxanthan gum would constitute 0.15% of the total weight of the egg whiteportion of the formulated fried egg product.

In yet another alternative formula, egg whites would form 99.25% of thetotal weight of the egg white portion of the formulated fried eggproduct; POLAR GEL modified food starch would constitute 0.5% of thetotal weight of the egg white portion of the formulated fried eggproduct; and xanthan gum would constitute 0.25% of the total weight ofthe egg white portion of the formulated fried egg product.

In yet another alternative formula, egg whites would form 98.88% of thetotal weight of the egg white portion of the formulated fried eggproduct; POLAR GEL modified food starch would constitute 1% of the totalweight of the egg white portion of the formulated fried egg product; andxanthan gum would constitute 0.13% of the total weight of the egg whiteportion of the formulated fried egg product.

In yet another alternative formula, egg whites would form 87.1% of thetotal weight of the egg white portion of the formulated fried eggproduct; soy bean oil would constitute 10% of the total weight of theegg white portion of the formulated fried egg product; POLAR GELmodified food starch would constitute 2.5% of the total weight of theegg white portion of the formulated fried egg product; and salt wouldconstitute 0.4% of the total weight of the egg white portion of theformulated fried egg product.

In yet another alternative formula, egg whites would form 90.55% of thetotal weight of the egg white portion of the formulated fried eggproduct; soy bean oil would constitute 8% of the total weight of the eggwhite portion of the formulated fried egg product; POLAR GEL modifiedfood starch would constitute 1% of the total weight of the egg whiteportion of the formulated fried egg product; salt would constitute 0.4%of the total weight of the egg white portion of the formulated fried eggproduct; and xanthan gum would constitute 0.05% of the total weight ofthe egg white portion of the formulated fried egg product.

In yet another alternative formula, egg whites would form 89.1% of thetotal weight of the egg white portion of the formulated fried eggproduct; soy bean oil would constitute 9% of the total weight of the eggwhite portion of the formulated fried egg product; POLAR GEL modifiedfood starch would constitute 1.5% of the total weight of the egg whiteportion of the formulated fried egg product; and salt would constitute0.4% of the total weight of the egg white portion for the formulatedfried egg product.

In yet another alternative formula, egg whites would form 90.05% of thetotal weight of the egg white portion of the formulated fried eggproduct; soy bean oil would constitute 8% of the total weight of the eggwhite portion of the formulated fried egg product; POLAR GEL modifiedfood starch would constitute 1.5% of the total weight of the egg whiteportion of the formulated fried egg product; salt would constitute 0.4%of the total weight of the egg white portion of the formulated fried eggproduct; and xanthan gum would constitute 0.05% of the total weight ofthe egg white portion of the formulated fried egg product.

In yet another alternative formula, egg whites would form 91.6% of thetotal weight of the egg white portion of the formulated fried eggproduct; soy bean oil would constitute 8% of the total weight of the eggwhite portion of the formulated fried egg product; and salt wouldconstitute 0.4% of the total weight of the egg white portion of theformulated fried egg product.

In yet another alternative formula, egg whites would form 99% of thetotal weight of the egg white portion of the formulated fried eggproduct; and SDS would constitute 1% of the total weight of the eggwhite portion of the formulated fried egg product.

In yet another alternative, egg whites would form 99.5% of the totalweight of the egg white portion of the formulated fried egg product; andSDS would constitute 0.5% of the total weight of the egg white portionof the formulated fried egg product.

In yet another alternative formula, egg whites would form 99.9% of thetotal weight of the egg white portion of the formulated fried eggproduct; and SDS would constitute 0.1% of the total weight of the eggwhite portion of the formulated fried egg product.

In yet another alternative formula, egg whites would form 94.25% of thetotal weight of the egg white portion of the formulated fried eggproduct; soy bean oil would constitute 4% of the total weight of the eggwhite portion of the formulated fried egg product; POLAR GEL modifiedfood starch would constitute 1.25% of the total weight of the egg whiteportion of the formulated fried egg product; salt would constitute 0.4%of the total weight of the egg white portion of the formulated fried eggproduct; and SLS would constitute 0.1% of the total weight of egg whiteportion of the formulated fried egg product.

In yet another alternative formula, egg whites would form 94.25% of thetotal weight of the egg white portion of the formulated fried eggproduct; soy bean oil would constitute 2% of the total weight of the eggwhite portion of the formulated fried egg product; DELIGHT oil wouldconstitute 2% of the total weight of the egg white portion of theformulated fried egg product; POLAR GEL modified food starch wouldconstitute 1.25% of the total weight of the egg white portion of theformulated fried egg product; salt would constitute 0.4% of the totalweight of the egg white portion of the formulated fried egg product; andSLS would constitute 0.1% of the total weight of the egg white portionof the formulated fried egg product.

In yet another alternative formula, egg whites would form 93% of thetotal weight of the egg white portion of the formulated fried eggproduct; DELIGHT oil would constitute 2% of the total weight of the eggwhite portion of the formulated fried egg product; soy bean oil wouldconstitute 2% of the total weight of the egg white portion of theformulated fried egg product; POLAR GEL modified food starch wouldconstitute 2.5% of the total weight of the egg white portion of theformulated fried egg product; salt would constitute 0.4% of the totalweight of the egg white portion of the formulated fried egg product; andSLS would constitute 0.1% of the total weight of the egg white portionof the formulated fried egg product.

In yet another alternative formula, egg whites would form 94% of thetotal weight of the egg white portion of the formulated fried eggproduct; DELIGHT oil would constitute 2% of the total weight of the eggwhite portion of the formulated fried egg product; soy bean oil wouldconstitute 2% of the total weight of the egg white portion of theformulated fried egg product; POLAR GEL modified food starch wouldconstitute 1.25% of the total weight of the egg white portion of theformulated fried egg product; salt would constitute 0.4% of the totalweight of the egg white portion of the formulated fried egg product; andSLS would constitute 0.35% of the total weight of the egg white portionof the formulated fried egg product.

In yet another alternative formula, egg whites would form 95.5% of thetotal weight of the egg white portion of the formulated fried eggproduct; DELIGHT oil would constitute 2% of the total weight of the eggwhite portion of the formulated fried egg product; soy bean oil wouldconstitute 2% of the total weight of the egg white portion of theformulated fried egg product; salt would constitute 0.4% of the totalweight of the egg white portion of the formulated fried egg product; andSLS would constitute 0.1% of the total weight of the egg white portionof the formulated fried egg product.

In yet another alternative formula, egg whites would form 94.25% of thetotal weight of the egg white portion of the formulated fried eggproduct; water would constitute 4% of the total weight of the egg whiteportion of the formulated fried egg product; POLAR GEL modified foodstarch would constitute 1.25% of the total weight of the egg whiteportion of the formulated fried egg product; salt would constitute 0.4%of the total weight of the egg white portion of the formulated fried eggproduct; and SLS would constitute 0.1% of the total weight of the eggwhite portion of the formulated fried egg product.

In yet another alternative formula, egg whites would form 85.6% of thetotal weight of the egg white portion of the formulated fried eggproduct; water would constitute 10% of the total weight of the egg whiteportion of the formulated fried egg product; non-fat dry milk wouldconstitute 1% of the total weight of the egg white portion of theformulated fried egg product; PURITY W modified food starch wouldconstitute 2% of the total weight of the egg white portion of theformulated fried egg product; salt would constitute 0.4% of the totalweight of the egg white portion of the formulated fried egg product; andnatural flavor for fried egg would constitute 1% of the total weight ofthe egg white portion of the formulated fried egg product.

A formula for the egg yolk portion of the formulated fried egg productwould constitute egg yolks forming 99.57% of the total weight of the eggyolk portion of the formulated fried egg product; xanthan gum would form0.225% of the total weight of the egg yolk portion of the formulatedfried egg product; and salt would constitute 0.4% of the total weight ofthe egg yolk portion of the formulated fried egg product.

In yet another formula, egg yolks would form 50% of the total weight ofthe egg yolk portion of the formulated fried egg product; whole eggwould constitute 49.55% of the total weight of the egg yolk portion ofthe formulated fried egg product; and xanthan gum would form 0.45% ofthe total weight of the egg yolk portion of the formulated fried eggproduct.

In yet another formula, egg yolks would form 50.05% of the total weightof the egg yolk portion of the formulated fried egg product; hard-cookedyolk would constitute 39.83% of the total weight of the egg yolk portionof the formulated fried egg product; water would constitute 10% of thetotal weight of the egg yolk portion of the formulated fried eggproduct; xanthan gum would constitute 0.05% of the total weight of theegg yolk portion of the formulated fried egg product; propylene glycolwould constitute 0.05% of the total weight of the egg yolk portion ofthe formulated fried egg product; and citric acid would constitute 0.02%of the egg yolk portion of the formulated fried egg product.

In yet another formula, egg yolks would form 79.9% of the total weightof the egg yolk portion of the formulated fried egg product; egg whiteswould constitute 19.5% of the total weight of the egg yolk portion ofthe formulated fried egg product; xanthan gum would constitute 0.25% ofthe total weight of the egg yolk portion of the formulated fried eggproduct; carrageenan would constitute 0.25% of the total weight of theegg yolk portion of the formulated fried egg product; and citric acidwould constitute 0.1% of the total weight of the egg yolk portion of theformulated fried egg product.

The procedures identified herein enable individual formulated fried eggsto be held frozen, refrigerated and/or hot for extended periods of timewithout loss of product integrity.

The temperature of the formulated fried egg within the mold 10 followingfreezing is verified to not exceed 36° F. (2.22° C.). The frozenformulated fried eggs may then be packaged in poly-lined bags and storedin a freezer for future transportation, delivery, reheating, andconsumption by an individual.

EXAMPLES Example I

Initially, shell eggs were broken and separated into liquid egg yolkportions and liquid egg white portions by commercial egg shelling andseparation techniques. 600.6 grams of liquid egg yolk were placed into amixing vessel. Next, 120 ml. of cold water were combined with 477.96grams of hard-cooked egg yolk in a mixer where mixing occurred. Next,0.6 grams of propylene glycol were combined with 0.6 grams of xanthangum in a bucket where mixing occurred through use of a whisk. Next, 0.24grams of citric acid were added to the glycol/gum mixture and mixed. Themixed glycol/gum/citric acid mixture and water/hard-cooked egg yolkmixture were added to the liquid egg yolk where agitation occurred. Themixed yolk portion was then transferred to a heat exchanger forpreheating to a temperature just below the yolk coagulation point. Thepreheated liquid egg yolk portion was then pumped to a yolk depositor.

3,753.6 grams of egg whites were added to a mixing vessel. Next, 120 ml.of hot water were combined with 80 grams of modified food starch andmixed. Next, 8 grams of propylene glycol and 4 grams of xanthan gum wereadded to a bucket and mixed with a whisk. The glycol/gum mixture wasthen added to the water/starch mixture where mixing occurred. Theresulting mixture was combined with the liquid egg whites where mixingoccurred.

The liquid egg white portion was then transferred to a heat exchangerfor preheating. The preheated liquid egg white portion was then pumpedto an egg white depositor for placement within a plurality of molds. Themolds containing the preheated liquid egg white portion were thenexposed to heat of approximately 325° F. or 162.78° C. The mold was thentransferred to a yolk depositor and a desired volume of preheated eggyolk was deposited upon the heated egg white portion. The moldscontaining the egg white portion and egg yolk portion were then moved toa convection oven where cooking occurred for 7.75 minutes at atemperature of 325° F. or 162.78° C. with the humidity set at full steamwith the dampers closed. Following cooking, the molds were transferredto a cooling area where the molds were permitted to cool at roomtemperature for a period of 30 minutes. Next, the cooled molds offormulated fried eggs were transferred to a cryogenic Spyro freezer forquick freezing. Following freezing, the frozen formulated fried eggswere separated from the molds for packaging and storage. Next, thepackaged frozen formulated fried eggs were thawed and reheated in amicrowave oven at a low power setting; before reheating, the formulatedfried eggs were covered with microwave-compatible plastic to preventdehydration, skin formation, and/or crusting. The formulated friedobtained according to the above-identified methodology provided asuperior formulated fried egg resembling a natural fried egg inappearance, taste, and mouth feel.

Example II

Initially, shell eggs were broken and separated into liquid egg yolkportions and liquid egg white portions by commercial egg shelling andseparation techniques. 958.8 grams of liquid egg yolk were added to amixing vessel. Next, 234 grams of egg whites were combined with 2.99grams of xanthan gum and 2.99 grams of carrageenan whereupon mixingoccurred. Next, 1.20 grams of citric acid were added to the eggwhite/gum/carrageenan mixture whereupon mixing occurred. The resultingmixture was then added to the liquid egg yolk where agitation occurred.The mixed yolk portion was then transferred to a heat exchanger forpreheating to a temperature just below the yolk coagulation point. Thepreheated liquid egg yolk portion was then pumped to a yolk depositor.

2,430 grams of liquid egg whites were added to a mixing vessel. Next,62.5 grams of POLAR GEL modified food starch were combined with 5 gramsof xanthan gum and 2.5 grams of citric acid and mixed. The mixed POLARGEL modified food starch/gum/citric acid was then added to the liquidegg yolks where mixing occurred. The liquid egg white portion was thentransferred to a heat exchanger for preheating. The preheated liquid eggwhite portion was then pumped to an egg white depositor where placementwithin a plurality of molds occurred. The molds containing the preheatedliquid egg white portions were then exposed to heat of approximately375° F. or 190.56° C. The molds were then transferred to a yolkdepositor where a desired volume of egg yolk was deposited upon the eggwhite portion. The molds containing the egg white portion and egg yolkportion were then transferred to a convection oven and cooked for 6.5minutes at a temperature of 375° F. or 190.56° C. with the humidity setat full steam with the oven dampers closed. Following cooking, the moldswere transferred to a cooling area where the molds were cooled at roomtemperature for a period of 30 minutes. Next, the cooled molds offormulated fried eggs were transferred to a cryogenic Spyro freezer forquick freezing. Following freezing, the formulated fried eggs wereseparated from the molds for packaging and storage. Next, the frozenformulated fried eggs were thawed and reheated in a microwave oven at alow power setting; before reheating, the formulated fried eggs werecovered with microwave-compatible plastic to prevent dehydration, skinformation, and/or crusting. The formulated fried eggs obtained accordingto the above-identified methodology provided a superior formulated friedegg resembling a natural fried egg in appearance, taste, and mouth feel.

Example III

Initially, shell eggs were broken and separated into liquid egg yolkportions and liquid egg white portions by commercial egg shelling andseparation techniques. 500 grams of liquid egg yolk were added to amixing vessel. Next, 495.5 grams of whole egg and 4.5 grams of xanthangum were placed in a mixing vessel and mixed. The mixed whole egg andgum were then added to the liquid egg yolk where mixing occurred. Themixed yolk portion was then transferred to a heat exchanger forpreheating to a temperature just below the yolk coagulation point. Thepreheated liquid egg yolk portion was then pumped to a yolk depositor.

890.5 grams of liquid egg whites were added to a mixing vessel. Next, 80grams of soy bean oil, 25 grams of POLAR GEL modified food starch, 5grams of salt, and 0.5 grams of xanthan were added to a mixing vesseland mixed. The mixed oil/gel/salt/gum was then added to the liquid eggwhites where mixing occurred. The liquid egg white portion was thentransferred to a heat exchanger for preheating. The preheated liquid eggwhite portion was then pumped to an egg white depositor where placementwithin a plurality of molds occurred. The molds containing the preheatedliquid egg white portions were then exposed to heat of approximately375° F. or 190.56° C. The molds were then transferred to a yolkdepositor where a desired volume of egg yolk was placed upon the eggwhite portion within the mold. The molds containing the egg whiteportion and egg yolk portion were then transferred to a convection ovenand cooked for 6.5 minutes at a temperature of approximately 375° F. or190.56° C. where full steam was provided for the final one-third of thecooking time. The oven dampers were closed during the final one-third ofthe cooking time to maximize humidity. Following cooking, the moldscontaining the cooked formulated fried eggs were transferred to acooling area and cooled at room temperature for a period of 30 minutes.Next, the cooled molds of formulated fried eggs were transferred to acryogenic SPYRO freezer for quick freezing. Following freezing, thefrozen formulated fried eggs were separated from the molds for packagingand storage. Next, the packaged frozen formulated fried eggs were thawedand reheated in a microwave oven at a low power setting; beforereheating, the formulated fried eggs were covered withmicrowave-compatible plastic to prevent dehydration, skin formation,and/or crusting. The formulated fried eggs obtained according to theabove-identified methodology provided a superior formulated fried eggresembling a natural fried egg in appearance, taste, and mouth feel.

The above-identified ingredients, temperature, and processing proceduresresulted in a formulated fried egg having increased thickness, improvedcolor, texture, mouth feel, and the overall appearance of a naturallyfried egg.

It should be noted that the process steps identified above may besubstantially interchanged and modified without sacrifice as to thefinal formulated fried egg so long as temperature is regulated andmixing time is regulated to avoid excessive temperatures andover-mixing.

In general, the ingredients identified herein have been provided forillustrative purposes and should not be considered as restrictive. Inaddition, reference herein to modified food starch may generally includea wide variety of commercially available corn starches and/or potatostarches that are FDA-approved for consumption by individuals. Inaddition, certain sugars may be used as substitutes for or incombination with either of the modified food starches identified herein.Further, reference herein to soy oil and/or corn oil may includereference to other edible oils, namely peanut oil and vegetable oils. Itshould also be noted that a number of alternative edible oils mayadequately function as substitute ingredients for soy bean oil and/orcorn oil herein.

Carboxymethylcellulose, carrageenan, guar gums, locust bean gum, betacarotene, agar, glycerol mono stearate, mono diglycerides andpolypropylene glycol esters may function as acceptable substitutesand/or replacements for the xanthan gum and the gums and emulsifiersherein. Further, other milk products may be substituted for the non-fatdry milk and whey as used herein.

It should be noted that the percentage weights provided herein have beenrounded mathematically, which in some instances may not exactly equal100%. In these instances, the percentage of eggs and/or water may beinsignificantly increased or decreased to provide a 100% summation.

The above examples and disclosure are intended to be illustrative andnot exhaustive. These examples and description will suggest manyvariations and alternatives to one of ordinary skill in the art. All ofthese alternatives and variations are intended to be included within thescope of the attached claims. Those familiar with the art may recognizeother equivalents to the specific embodiments described herein whichequivalents are also intended to be encompassed by the claims attachedhereto.

The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms withoutdeparting from the spirit or essential attributes thereof; therefore,the illustrative embodiments should be considered in all respects asillustrative and not restrictive, reference being made to dependentclaims rather than to the foregoing description to indicate the scope ofthe invention.

While this invention may be embodied in many different forms, there aredescribed in detail herein specific preferred embodiments of theinvention. This description is an exemplification of the principles ofthe invention and is not intended to limit the invention to theparticular embodiments illustrated.

For the purposes of this disclosure, like reference numerals in thefigures shall refer to like features unless otherwise indicated.

Further, the particular features presented in the dependent claims canbe combined with each other in other manners within the scope of theinvention such that the invention should be recognized as alsospecifically directed to other embodiments having any other possiblecombination of the features of the dependent claims. For instance, forpurposes of claim publication, any dependent claim that follows shouldbe taken as alternatively written in a multiple dependent form from allprior claims that possess all antecedents referenced in such dependentclaim if such multiple dependent format is an accepted format within thejurisdiction (e.g., each claim depending directly from claim 1 should bealternatively taken as depending from all previous claims). Injurisdictions where multiple dependent claim formats are restricted, thefollowing dependent claims should also be taken as alternatively writtenin each singly dependent claim format, which creates a dependency from aprior antecedent-possessing claim other than the specific claim listedin such dependent claim below (e.g., claim 3 may be taken asalternatively dependent from claim 2; claim 4 may be taken asalternatively dependent on claim 2, or on claim 3; claim 6 may be takenas alternatively dependent from claim 5; etc.).

This completes the description of the preferred and alternateembodiments of the invention. Those skilled in the art may recognizeother equivalents to the specific embodiment described herein, whichequivalents are intended to be encompassed by the claims attachedhereto.

That which is claimed is:
 1. A process for making a formulated friedegg, the process comprising: a) forming an egg white portion comprisingegg whites that form between about 50% and 99.5% by weight of the eggwhite portion, and salt; b) forming an egg yolk portion comprising eggyolk that forms between about 50% and 99.9% by weight of the egg yolkportion and gum; c) preheating the egg white portion separately from theegg yolk portion; d) depositing a desired amount of the egg whiteportion into a mold; e) depositing a desired amount of the egg yolkportion into the mold; f) cooking the desired egg yolk amount anddesired egg white amount in the mold; g) removing the cooked egg yolkportion and egg white portion from the mold; and h) cooling the cookedand removed egg yolk portion and egg white portion.
 2. The process ofclaim 1 wherein depositing the egg yolk portion is performed beforedepositing the egg white portion.
 3. The process of claim 1 whereindepositing the egg yolk portion and egg white portion is performed usinga depositor and wherein the mold is positioned beneath the depositorprior to the egg yolk portion and the egg white portion being deposited.4. The process of claim 1 further comprising pre-heating the egg yolkportion prior to depositing the egg yolk portion.
 5. The process ofclaim 1 the egg white portion further comprising modified food starch,the modified food starch forming between 1% and 3% by weight of the eggwhite portion.
 6. The process of claim 5 the egg yolk portion furthercomprising citric acid, the citric acid forming between 0.01% and 0.2%by weight of the egg yolk portion.
 7. The process of claim 6 in whichthe egg white portion forms approximately 50% by weight of theformulated fried egg.
 8. The process of claim 7 in which the egg whiteportion further comprises gum, the gum forming between 0.01% and 0.4% byweight of the egg white portion.
 9. The process of claim 7 in which theegg yolk portion further comprises salt, the salt forming between 0.01%and 0.5% by weight of the egg yolk portion.
 10. The process of claim 1further comprising degassing the egg white portion prior to thedepositing of the egg white portion.
 11. The process of claim 10 whereinthe degassing includes subjecting the egg white portion to a vacuum. 12.The process of claim 1 wherein the salt forms between 0.35% and 0.8% byweight of the egg white portion.
 13. The process of claim 1 wherein thegum forms between 0.1% and 0.5% by weight of the egg yolk portion.
 14. Amethod for making a formulated fried egg, the formulated fried eggcomprising 1) an egg white portion including egg whites that formbetween about 50% and 99.5% by weight of the egg white portion, andsalt; and 2) an egg yolk portion including egg yolk that forms betweenabout 50% and 99.9% by weight of the egg yolk portion, and gum, whereinthe formulated fried egg is formed according to a method comprising thesteps of: a) separately preheating the egg white portion and the eggyolk portion; b) transferring the preheated egg white portion to an eggwhite depositor; c) transferring the preheated egg yolk portion to anegg yolk depositor; d) positioning a mold to receive a desired volume ofegg white portion; e) moving the mold containing the egg white portionto the egg yolk depositor for receipt of a desired volume of egg yolkportion on top of the egg white portion; f) cooking the egg whiteportion and the egg yolk portion within the mold; g) cooling the mold;h) transferring the mold containing the formulated fried egg to afreezer for freezing of the formulated fried egg; i) separating thefrozen formulated fried egg from the mold; j) packaging the frozenformulated fried egg; k) thawing the formulated fried egg; and l)reheating the formulated fried egg by exposure to heat.
 15. The methodof making a formulated fried egg according to claim 14 wherein the eggwhite portion is degassed.
 16. The method of making a formulated friedegg according to claim 14 wherein the cooking of the egg is performed ina high-moisture atmosphere.
 17. The method of making a formulated friedegg according to claim 14 wherein the egg white portion furthercomprises modified food starch, the modified food starch forming between1% and 3% by weight of the egg white portion, and wherein the amount ofthe egg whites, the salt, and modified food starch when combined equal100% of the egg white portion.
 18. The method of making a formulatedfried egg according to claim 17 wherein the modified food starch isselected from the group consisting of Purity starch, corn starch, potatostarch, sugar, and corn syrup solids and any combination thereof. 19.The method of making a formulated fried egg according to claim 14wherein the egg yolk portion further comprises citric acid, the citricacid forming between 0.01% and 0.2% by weight of the egg yolk portion,and wherein the amount of the egg yolk, the gum, and citric acid whencombined equal 100% of the egg yolk portion.
 20. The method of making aformulated fried egg according to claim 14 wherein the egg white portionforms approximately 50% by weight of the formulated fried egg.